Nations worldwide underestimate greenhouse gas emissions from wastewater systems, research from Princeton University shows. Outdated inventory methods and failure to include items like latrines and untreated sewage in national reports are main reasons.
Nations worldwide underestimate greenhouse gas emissions from wastewater systems, research from Princeton University shows. Outdated inventory methods and failure to include items like latrines and untreated sewage in national reports are main reasons.
In an article published Feb. 11 in the journal Nature Climate Change, the researchers report that nations underestimated emissions of gases including methane and nitrous oxide by amounts ranging from 19% to 27%. The researchers said that much of the underestimate is caused by countries relying on 2006 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidance to estimate wastewater gas emissions rather than incorporating updates in the 2019 refinement.
In a policy paper that accompanies the research article, Z. Jason Ren, who led the research, said that accurate estimates are a foundation for sound public reporting and practical decision-making in the wastewater sector. He urged the IPCC and policymakers to take note of these differences and move countries toward the most accurate wastewater standards when developing national inventories.
Read More: Princeton University
In related research, a team led by Princeton Professors Z. Jason Ren and Mark Zondlo studied emissions from U.S. wastewater plants. (Photo Credit: Nathan Li/Princeton University)
